YumSugar

Sweet Potato Fries: Are They Healthy?

FitSugar — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 01:58:00 PDT

We are repeatedly reminded to avoid french fries for a wide variety of reasons, and one of those reasons is they make us wider! But what about their more healthy-seeming cousin: sweet potato fries?

Most restaurants use hydrogenated vegetable oil to cook up fries, and that oil is known to clog your arteries, promote heart disease, interrupt metabolic processes, cause belly fat that crowds the organs and strains the heart, and increase cancer risk. Starchy foods subjected to high heat create acrylamides, which a Swedish study found to cause cancer in rats. Things like brain-cell function, hormones, gland function, oxygen transport, cell-wall function, and digestive-tract operation are also negatively affected by hydrogenated oil.

Do you think they have a separate vat of heart-healthy canola oil waiting to fry up your sweet potato fries? No such luck.

While sweet potatoes are considered a great source of vitamin A, I'm sorry to break the news to you, they're still deep-fried. For that reason alone, you're better off ordering a baked potato, or better yet, a side salad, with your meal.

Following food philosopher Michael Pollan's advice, if you're craving junk food, make it yourself. DIY sweet potato fries are easy to bake: cut up a couple of sweet spuds, drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then bake. For a little more guidance, check out this sweet potato french fry recipe.

Flickr User not a hipster

4 Massively Underrated Toppings For French Fries

Susannah Chen — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 12:55:59 PDT

Happy halfway-through-the-workweek-day, and Happy National French Fries Day!

In all fairness, I don't really believe that a pastime as precious as fries deserve just one day, but who would turn down a reason to celebrate?

From ketchup to chili and cheese, you can't go wrong with any of America's favorite toppings, but if there's anytime to experiment with new, mind-blowing toppings, today's the day.

For some of our unexpected favorites, keep reading.

Researchers Identify the Top Foods That Are Making Us Fat

Leta Shy — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 13:18:10 PDT

A new report from Harvard researchers has found the top foods that are making us fat, and the findings are not at all surprising.

The extensive study used data for over 120,000 healthy men and women from previous studies to track their diet every four years from 1986 to 2006 to see how their lifestyle and what they ate affected their weight. The researchers found that within each period the average weight gain was a little over three pounds - which added up to a 17-pound total weight gain over the 20-year period.

What caused that weight gain? Topping the list of culprits are meat, sweetened drinks, fried foods, and any form of potatoes. The biggest cause of weight gain was eating french fries; every extra serving of fries eaten in a day was linked to a gain of more than three pounds, while eating an extra serving of potato chips led to 1.69 pounds. Other diet busters included refined grains (like white rice and white bread) and butter.

But the news wasn't all bad; the study also identified the foods that helped prevent weight gain. Read on for the list of foods that cause and prevent weight gain.

Baked Fries With Sea Salt and Truffle Oil

Yum Community — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 04:28:27 PDT

Want to turn up the volume on baked fries? Be like girlA and drizzle them with truffle oil!

Here I go again with the truffle oil . . . guarantee you’ll love these! Truffle oil on French fries just go together like PB&J. I brought these to a get together and they were gone in minutes! You can peel the potatoes if you’d like, but I’m not fond of the peeling process. If they don’t have to be peeled, you can bet I won’t do it. So it’s up to you.

Look at the easy recipe after the break.

Would You Rather Eat McDonald's or Wendy's Fries?

Susannah Chen — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 03:08:30 PDT

Burger King isn't the only fast food chain hoping to run away with a chunk of McDonald's sales; so is Wendy's. After overhauling its fry recipe for the first time in 41 years, Wendy's is claiming its newly reformulated natural-cut fries with sea salt have beat out McDonald's in a nationwide taste test. According to a statement from Wendy's, 56 percent of consumers taking the test chose Wendy's, compared to 39 percent who selected McDonald's. Are you inclined to believe the results of this survey?

Source and Source

Pumpkin: Skip the Pies For Fries

Lauren Hendrickson — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 16:00:09 PST

Everyone's tried a pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving - but pumpkins are useful for so much more than just pie. This year, my family will free up the oven by deep-frying the bird - and since the oil will be hot, why not try something new and cook up some pumpkin fries?

I served my first few batches of pumpkin fries with a spicy aioli, but a cranberry dipping sauce would be a great alternative as well. If you're in the mood for something sweet, sprinkle the last batch with cinnamon and sugar. These fries are easy to prep and fry just before the big feast, especially with the fryer already hot. If you're ready to give up the pie and start with a fry, then keep reading for the recipe.

A Simple, Seasonal, and Scrumptious Sweet Potato Side Dish

Katie Sweeney — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 13:00:01 PDT

When I had some friends over to try Bobby Flay's award-winning burger, there was only one thing I thought to pair the burgers with: fries. Not just any fries, but seasonal sweet potato fries. The burger is called the Santa Fe, so I was hoping for Tex-Mex inspired fries. Luckily, I found this recipe for baked sweet potato fries with a creamy and cooling avocado dip.

The pairing of slightly spicy sweet potatoes with a luscious green dipping sauce is absolutely sublime. Although I followed the recipe closely and I really enjoyed the flavor, my sweet potatoes weren't as crispy as I wanted them to be. Do you have tips for making them crisp? Please share with me in the comments. For the recipe, which doesn't disappoint, read on.

Do You Pair Fried Foods With Mayonnaise?

partysugar — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 08:30:33 PDT

I just got back from Spain, where I enjoyed a lot of fried fish and French fries. I'm not ashamed to admit that I always paired them with mayonnaise. There's something about European mayonnaise that's absolutely divine. How about you?

5 French Fry Alternatives

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 05:50:58 PDT

If you're addicted to the hot, crunchy, saltiness of French fries, you may be having a difficult time kicking the guilty pleasure. But there are some healthier ways to satisfy the fry craving, including swapping potatoes for other veggies, baking instead of deep-frying, or rethinking the salty snack altogether. Since the first step to controlling what's in your sides and snacks is to make them yourself, I've included five French fry alternatives with links to their yummy and easy recipes.

Do you have other French fry alternatives? Why not share them in our Snack Attack community group? We may post it on FitSugar!

Savory Sight: Manchego French Fries

Yum Community — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 05:50:39 PDT

Reader Angelica uploaded this insane pile of manchego cheese-topped fries to the Savory Sights group in the YumSugar Community. Do you have an image of something delicious that you recently made or enjoyed? Upload it and it may be featured here!
From Dish in Mill Valley!